What The Future Brings
by inulover27
Summary: A relationship has finally developed between Inuyasha and Kagome after a long time of shying away from their feelings. Seekers of the Sacred Jewel will stop at nothing to get their hands on it, which means coming in between the entire Inuyasha gang. IK MS
1. Break Up to Make Up

He did it again. He once again made the mistake of saying something he shouldn't have said, resulting in Kagome's usual gentle voice screaming, "SIT!". This was the last straw. They had gotten into another one of their silly arguments. Without thinking, Inuyasha blurted, "I'm tired of coming to your rescue all the time when I could have already finished off every demon here in the Feudal Era. You just get in the way and slow me down. Why can't you be more like Kikyo was, you ARE her reincarnation". Inuyasha's temper had yet again gotten the best of him. He had hurt Kagome in one of the worst way possible to her… he compared her to his old beloved Kikyo. Kagome was so sick and tired of having to take in all of Inuyasha's hurtful words. Inuyasha knew the damage he had just done and therefore kept quiet. With his face in the dirt and Miroku, Sango, and Shippo flashing him dirty looks, he felt the guilt wash over him.

_'Oh, why me? Damn it all! Can't I ever say the right thing? Feh, I'll always wind up in the dirt', _Inuyasha thought to himself.

Kagome ran as fast as her legs could carry her to the Bone Eaters Well and jumped inside. She didn't want Inuyasha to see her tears. But with his keen sense of smell, he could sniff out the scent from miles away, causing him even more grief. He was angry at himself for hurting her so badly, even though unintentionally.

_'Can't she tell how much she means to me? She knows that when my temper flares I tend to say things I don't mean yet she still runs away thinking I'm mad at her. I can't blame her though. Still… I could never be mad at her, no matter what'._

And these were Inuyasha's true feelings, coming from his heart, but never being able to admit it to Kagome or anyone else. Having to watch Kagome flee from him, tears in her eyes, killed Inuyasha inside. He couldn't bear to live with the thought of making her upset and unhappy.

Meanwhile, back at home at the dinner table Kagome was very quiet around her family. She didn't want to show them that she was upset.

"Mom, may I be excused?" Kagome asked while playing with her food.

"Yes, is there anything you want to talk about?" her mother asked sincerely.

Quickly getting on the defense she said, "NO! It's nothing! Just leave me alone."

And with that, Kagome ran up to her room. She just wanted nothing more than to get Inuyasha off of her mind but with everybody asking what was wrong that would be impossible. She hopped onto her bed, diving face first into her pillow hugging it tight and nuzzling her face into it as if it were that amber-eyed hanyou. As much as Kagome wanted not to think about it, nothing would stop the memories from running through her mind.

_'Why do we always have to get into these stupid fights? They are usually so pointless, but this time he took it too far.'_

As thoughts raced through her mind about her and Inuyasha, a new song had begun to be announced on the radio. It was then that she realized she left her other portable solar radio back in the Feudal Era along with her yellow backpack. She was in such a rush that she just took off without bringing back any of her belongings. Kagome thought about going back to retrieve her things, really just to have an excuse to see Inuyasha. Despite their argument, her feelings for him remained incredibly strong, but seeing him so soon after their fight caused her a great deal of apprehension.

"This next song is called 'Hard to Say I'm Sorry' by Chicago", Kagome heard. She turned up the volume and tried to listen to the words, attempting to let any thoughts of Inuyasha escape her mind, if just for the moment.

Sango eyed the hopeless half demon, knowing that he'd be way too stubborn to go to Kagome's era and apologize. Inuyasha just spent his time sulking very subtly, releasing a few sighs and grumbles every now and then when he thought the coast was clear. A small breeze drifted through the air and made its way over to Inuyasha's delicate nose. All of a sudden he caught a whiff of her scent, causing him to jump off the tree he was laying in and follow wherever the sweet aroma led to. He let out a huff as soon as he saw that it was only the yellow bag that carried her scent laid out on a blanket along with the solar powered radio. The radio was left on and he decided to lie down by it and inhale her soft scent. His ears twitched as he heard, "This next song is called 'Hard to Say I'm Sorry' by Chicago", not even knowing that the same song was being listened to by Kagome back in her time.

"Everybody needs a little time away,

I heard her say, from each other

Even lovers need a holiday

Far away from each other

Hold me now

It's hard for me to say I'm sorry

I just want you to stay

After all that we've been through

I will make it up to you, I promise to

And after all that's been said and done

You're just the part of me I can't let go"

His soft, amber eyes shot open after hearing those sweet lyrics that were now stuck in his head.

"I can't believe it. If that song doesn't explain how I feel about Kagome than I don't know what does. If only she knew."

Inuyasha laid back down, shutting his eyes, letting those words just seep into his mind and his heart as his own feelings really began to surface.

Kagome was too busy sobbing to hear any of the words from the song no matter how hard she concentrated. As soon as she settled down, she listened carefully to each and every lyric.

"Couldn't stand to be kept away

Just for the day from your body

Wouldn't wanna be swept away

Far away from the one that I love

Hold me now

It's hard for me to say I'm sorry

I just want you to know

Hold me now

I really want to tell you I'm sorry

I could never let you go

After all that we've been through

I will make it up to you, I promise to

And after all that's been said and done

You're just the part of me I can't let go."

And after hearing just a few simple verses, Kagome ran down the stairs, fled out the door, and ran to the well. The song made her realize that she couldn't just let a fight ruin a great relationship like this. Or whatever it was. After all, meeting someone like him doesn't happen everyday.

Inuyasha got up after the song ended and simply questioned whether or not he would have enough bravery to go and apologize to Kagome for what happened. He ran over to the well but was too deep in thought to realize the branch lying out in front of it. Once he came back to reality he realized and stopped short, but not short enough to miss tripping over the branch. Inuyasha was sent flying over the well, leaving a nice new bruise on his poor little head. He was a bit dizzy, but shortly after recovering his vision became clear again and he saw Kagome climb out of the well.

"Uh, Kagome… I… uh…" was all Inuyasha managed to babble out.

"Shh, don't say a word" Kagome interrupted.

A confused Inuyasha sat quiet, trying to predict what exactly was going on. Kagome slid over to his side, leaned over towards him, and lightly planted a soft kiss on his lips. Inuyasha couldn't believe what has just happened.

_'She kissed me! I screwed up and she still loves me. I just wish I could tell her the way I feel about her. After all, I'm the one who's always messing up. I wish I could just stare at her like this all day. She's really beautiful.'_

This time he did end up in the dirt, but for the better. Kagome, now being on top of the hanyou, came to her senses and began blushing severely, triggering Inuyasha to turn crimson as well.

"I really am sorry… for the fight and all… I didn't mean to say the things I said to you Kagome…"

_'Oh no, maybe she had forgotten about the fight we had. What happens if I just reminded her about it… what if she decides to leave me… then I'll never have the chance to tell her my feelings…'_

Kagome just flashed Inuyasha a reassuring smile, sending chills up his spine and placing a warm smile on his face. Just as she was about to lean in for another kiss, she spotted something out of the corner of her eye…

Kikyo.


	2. Encounter with Kikyo

"Kikyo? What are you doing here?" Inuyasha asked as he got up.

Kagome kept her distance, still crouching on the ground by the well.

"I should be asking you the same question", Kikyo answered.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Usually you're following around that pitiful girl back in her era like the dog that you are."

All Inuyasha could do was let out a growl after hearing such a comment from Kikyo.

"You shouldn't even be here Kikyo! I mean your friends down in hell are probably waitin' for ya".

He could tell this made Kikyo angry from the cold expression on her face.

"I'd keep that sword handy if I were you."

And with that, she walked away, disappearing into the forest.

"I wonder what that was all about… well, whatever it was I sure didn't like the sound of it…" Kagome said worriedly.

"Yeah, me neither…" Inuyasha answered back.

Inuyasha helped Kagome up and they both walked back to the village where they were greeted by Sango, Miroku, and Shippo.

"Kagome! I'm so glad to see you're back!" Sango remarked cheerfully.

"Yes, and I can see the two of you made up", Miroku snickered.

Inuyasha and Kagome looked in opposite directions and blushed.

"Yeah Kagome, I really missed you! I can tell Inuyasha did too because of all his sulking and moping and—" Shippo was cut off.

Before he could finish his sentence, Inuyasha pounded him on the head. This left everyone to hear the sound of Inuyasha's growl, Shippo's wincing, and Kagome's soft giggle.

"I should tell you guys, we ran into Kikyo by the well…" informed Kagome.

"I don't see anything good coming of this, I can tell you that much", Miroku replied.

"Me neither… what'd she say, Kagome?" Sango asked.

"She basically hinted that we should watch our backs, as if to give us fair warning of something."

Inuyasha simply stood their looking lost in thought.

"Is everything alright Inuyasha?" Kagome asked feeling slightly concerned.

He didn't answer.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome said a bit louder and very uneasily.

"Oh, what? Yeah… I'm fine."

Night soon fell and they all decided it would be best to stay overnight in Kaede's village. With Naraku's incarnation after Inuyasha and the gang and that encounter with Kikyo, it seemed like the best idea.

"So Kagome, ye are saying that ye had a run-in with my sister Kikyo?" Kaede asked a bit surprised.

"Right, and I have a feeling that Naraku is behind this", Kagome said with assurance.

"I think it would be best if we all kept our weapons nearby just in case", Miroku suggested.

"Kirara will keep guard with you, Inuyasha", Sango confirmed.

Inuyasha just sat with his arms crossed, staring at the blazing fire. Ever since that little incident by the well he seemed to be unfocused.

"Inuyasha has seemed to be a bit dazed since we met up with you and him", Miroku said to Kagome. "I wonder if he's okay."

Kagome didn't respond. She just glanced across the room at Inuyasha, wondering what thoughts were crossing his mind.

The silence was broken due to a loud bang coming from outside as well as screams from the other villagers. Panic and fear filled the air as quickly as ever causing Inuyasha to jump to his feet. Just as he was about to grab Tetsusaiga, him and the rest of the gang blacked out.


	3. New Enemy, Kaida

Inuyasha woke up dizzily. He scratched his head and rubbed his eyes but still the room remained pitch black. He wasn't sure where he was or how he got there. Inuyasha heard movements around him, unaware that it was Kagome and the others who also blacked out and were brought to this mysterious place. He got up and walked, trying to find even the slightest ray of light to examine where he was. Inuyasha tripped over something, but quickly caught his balance before he could hit the ground.

"Inuyasha, is that you?" Kagome whispered.

Inuyasha let out a sigh of relief to know that Kagome was there with him and she was okay. A small streak of light appeared allowing them to see each other slightly.

"Yeah, it's me", he answered back. "Where are the others?"

"I wish I knew. Where are we?" Kagome asked in a rather confused tone.

"I don't know, I can barely see a thing in here. I wonder where—" Inuyasha didn't finish his sentence. He became distracted by the figure standing behind Kagome. Its eyes shone bright red and its fangs quite clearly were showing.

"Inuyasha? What's the matter?" Kagome asked looking alarmed.

Inuyasha didn't answer. He grabbed Tetsusaiga out as quickly as possible and swung it right over Kagome's head at the demon behind her, killing it in one swing, with only ash and dust of the demon remaining.

**"WHAT THE? WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO, KILL ME?"** Kagome shouted with her hands balled up into fists.

"Well, you would've been if I hadn't swung my sword at that demon behind you. I'll take the yelling at me as a thank you", Inuyasha blurted, fed up with Kagome's lack of appreciation.

Kagome stood there with a stunned look on her face. If there was a demon behind her she hadn't had the slightest bit of awareness. "Oh, sorry! Thanks."

"Feh, it's nothin'. We better go, this place is full of demons", Inuyasha said.

"We have to find Sango and Miroku. I know they can take care of themselves but I don't trust Miroku alone with Sango at all", Kagome said while Inuyasha nodded in agreement.

"Sango? Sango? Where are you?" Miroku shouted out.

"I'm over here, Miroku!" Sango yelled back.

Miroku ran over to Sango who was lying on the ground of the dark forest. He helped her off the ground and watched as she dusted herself off.

"What is it?" Sango asked at the now gawking Miroku.

"Nothing, my dear Sango. I was just so worried about you."

Before she even had a chance to respond to Miroku, he did it. He groped her. Even at a time like this where they blacked out and woke up not knowing where they were, he fondled her. Sango didn't have words to describe her anger. Miroku didn't need to hear her words to know that she was furious anyway. The boomerang that she bashed into his head was proof enough.

"The price you pay for a little public display of affection", Miroku whispered to himself while rubbing his head.

"Uh, Miroku… where are Inuyasha and Kagome?"

Miroku looked around but the area was too dark to make out anything except Sango and a faint light that surrounded the forest.

"I'm not exactly sure, but I'm certain Inuyasha must be with her. He will watch over her", Miroku said reassuringly.

The two of them walked around aimlessly trying to find Inuyasha and Kagome, hoping to find a way out in the process. They eventually spotted two figures heading in their direction.

"Sango! Miroku!" Kagome screamed in excitement.

"I'm so glad to see that you two are okay. We were so worried", Sango rejoiced.

"How did we even get here?" Kagome wondered.

They all looked around, aware of the evil aura that surrounded them so intensely. This place wasn't a safe area to be wandering around in. Suddenly, a girl wearing a purple kimono with red eyes, fangs, and long jet black hair appeared before them.

"I come on behalf of Naraku", the girl said forebodingly.

"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha jumped forward, preparing to make use of Tetsusaiga.

"Oh so you don't remember me? You swung your pathetic sword at me not too long ago. My name is Kaida."

"What? But you turned to ash and dust… how could that be?"

"Yes, if you haven't realized that's my defense mechanism. You didn't come close to hitting me which gave me time to turn into dust and float away. It's also the way I got all of you here. The ash and dust I turn into also contains a powder used to make you lose consciousness which worked extremely well to my advantage", Kaida retorted. "I used a dragon demon to cause chaos in the village which was how I distracted you long enough to let the powder knock all of you out."

The group stood there with a shocked expression upon all of their faces. Inuyasha instead had an angry look written plainly across his face. He wasn't going to stand there and let this wench live for much longer. Inuyasha grabbed Tetsusaiga and smashed it against the ground.

**"WIND SCAR!"**

Kaida moved out of the way just in time. Any later had she moved and she would have been directly hit with wind scar from Tetsusaiga.

"I see you're pretty hand with that sword half-demon. But it is nothing compared to my power!"

Kaida quickly jumped up in the air and clutched the sword that hung in her case on her belt. She aimed at Inuyasha and swung, missing him by merely an inch. He dodged her attacks on him, but she was too quick. He didn't have enough time in between dodging her sword to use wind scar. Inuyasha quickly ran into the forest.

"Haha, I knew that half-demon would give up eventually. He never stood a chance against me! However, this battle is far from over," Kaida assured.

She looked around and searched for Inuyasha but he was nowhere to be found. He is not one to normally take off in the middle of a battle. A branch cracked from above, sending the whole limb to fall flat in front of Kaida, startling her in the process. She looked up to see Inuyasha staring at her from of the branches above her.

"You didn't think I'd flee that quickly did you?" Inuyasha smirked.

He jumped down holding Tetsusaiga, pointing the blade outward toward Kaida's body. Before she even had time to think, her body was sliced in half from the impact of Tetsusaiga. Her body turned to ash and was taken aloft by the breeze, floating away into the night sky. Kagome and the others ran over to Inuyasha who was panting out of breath.

"Inuyasha! I knew you would never flee from battle. I'm glad you're all right. For someone who talked as if she was so powerful, she sure was easy to defeat", Kagome pointed out while grabbing his hand from excitement of the victory. They both blushed slightly.

"I have a feeling that's not the last of her. I mean, she did say her body turned into ash and dust", Miroku mentioned.

"Well anyway, I think we should find a way out of this forest before we run into even more unnecessary trouble", Sango suggested.

They all nodded in agreement and walked in the night while that stray of light still shone upon them. They eventually came to a halt when they saw an open field out of the forest. But something stopped them from leaving. The bright light that shone upon them was a reflection of the barrier that hovered over them from above. They were trapped inside.


	4. Illusions of Death

Something told Inuyasha and the others that this wasn't going to be easy. All the group could do was stare intently at the barrier before them. Inuyasha used Tetsusaiga to try and open it but there was no luck. They were all in disbelief of how easily they got in but how difficult it would be to get out. Tetsusaiga wasn't strong enough yet to break through so they would have to find another way to get out.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Kagome questioned bitterly.

"Well, I doubt Naraku and his incarnations trapped us in here alone. We're going to have to look out for what lies ahead of us." Miroku assured.

Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, and Sango all headed back into the forest, weapons ready for use in case of danger. As they walked deeper into the forest, a large cracking sound came from the ground, startling the creatures in the trees.

"We meet again Inuyasha. My illusions of death gladly await you. Words of wisdom from me – don't be fooled or a fool you will be", Naraku chuckled, finding much amusement in his own little riddle with his only intentions of it being to confuse them all.

"I don't like the sound of that", Inuyasha said with his hand grasping Tetsusaiga.

The ground beneath them began to crack, first slowly then gaining speed.

**"KIRARA!**" Sango screamed with Miroku at her side.

Kirara swooped down but only had time to pick up Sango and Miroku and Shippo. Kirara wouldn't have enough time to reach Kagome and Inuyasha.

Inuyasha and Kagome began to run for dear life but the ground swallowed them up in a matter of seconds. They kept falling for what felt like an eternity. Kagome looked at Inuyasha as they continued to fall and he slowly began to fade until he completely disappeared. Kagome panicked in fear and started to call out to him, her echoed voice being the only thing that responded. The same went for him, and she disappeared before his eyes.

Soon after, they both hit the ground, still thinking that they were invisible to the eyes of the other and in different areas of that mysterious forest. Kagome got up and brushed her skirt and sleeves off of all the dirt that powdered onto it from the impact of the fall.

"W-where am I?" Kagome stammered. "Oh no, I'm lost. GREAT. There's nothing I'd love more than to be by myself in a strange forest, defenseless, and trapped inside Naraku's barrier."

There was a rustling sound in the bushes which caused Kagome to jump. She quickly turned around only to come in contact with Kaida.

"Wha-? What are you doing here? Inuyasha killed you!" Kagome cried.

"Hah, as if I would let that half breed kill me. Of course his precious Tetsusaiga was too weak to break through Naraku's barrier being that you are still here."

"I don't understand this all, how can you be here? I saw it with my own two eyes that Inuyasha killed you. Wait a minute, you're just an illusion! Just like everything else in this forest! Don't think I forgot what Naraku said about all these 'illusions of death' as he likes to call it", Kagome alleged.

"Ah, I see you are wiser than you appear to be. But I may be wrong based on the fact that you are unarmed", Kaida smirked.

Kagome stood there with fear in her eyes knowing that she had no sacred arrows to use if by any chance she was attacked. Kaida stared down at Kagome who was rendered powerless and watched her as she desperately hoped that Inuyasha would come and save her. Before she knew it, Kagome was sprinting away from Kaida who swooped her sword down at Kagome and barely missed her head.

**"INUYASSSHHHAAA!"** Kagome screamed flailing her arms in every direction.

Kagome stopped and tried to catch her breath by a misty stream. As much as she wanted to keep running she just couldn't anymore. Kaida wasn't chasing after her anymore so she figured the illusion had vanished. The sight before her was beautiful with pink and white tree petals swaying in the light breeze. Kagome wished she could have a better view of the sight she was so entranced by but the mist was too thick. She sat down on a log by the side of the stream and tilted her head back on the tree behind her as she regained her energy.

Inuyasha took a hard bump on the head when he fell. As soon as consciousness hit, he was up and about ready to find Kagome and the others. Out of nowhere, a large bear demon came behind him with his paw ready to strike but he wasn't quick enough for Inuyasha. Inuyasha turned around and swung his sword through the demons body. The bear demon began to vanish immediately after.

"Well, that was easy enough. I almost forgot about Naraku's deathly illusions. That bear demon was probably one of them. I hope Kagome is alright. I bet she is seeing some strange illusions, too", Inuyasha said to himself.

He walked off holding the handle of his sword as he leaned the top of it across his shoulder. He came across a small stream, the air filled with fog. It was so different from all the other parts of the forest. So peaceful and calm. He wished this perfect atmosphere was extended across all of the land. There was a figure on the other side that he couldn't make out because of the thick miasma. He squinted really hard until he could finally see who it was. Kagome.

Kagome was in a daze, watching the small currents of the stream and staring at her own reflection in the water. All of a sudden from the other side of the stream, she could see Inuyasha's reflection as well which startled her a bit.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome squealed as she sprang up from the ground and hopped across the stones over the stream to Inuyasha.

_`Oh wait a minute, nothing has been real in this forest, it's just another illusion to trick me`_ Kagome thought to herself disappointedly.

"Kagome, its you! I was really worried about you", Inuyasha admitted. Kagome could see the concern that filled his amber eyes. He then pulled her into a tight hug which to her felt illusory.

`_This MUST be an illusion… the Inuyasha I know would never show so much affection`_, Kagome thought a little disheartened. _`But for some reason I just cant seem to pull myself away from his warm embrace, even if it is just an illusion.`_

Kagome was smitten. She wrapped her arms around him, never wanting to lose such a moment.

Inuyasha was so overjoyed in finding Kagome by the stream. He felt a certain comfort in that forest, knowing the she had to be one of the illusions, which made his usually concealed feelings for her show.

Inuyasha was completely infatuated with Kagome, more than he had even been with Kikyo. Inuyasha slowly released her from his loving grasp and held her hand. He took his index finger on his other hand and lightly began stroking her cheek. An adoring smile slowly crept over both of their faces.

How could that illusion be so fake, yet feel so real? They let go of the moment, knowing that the image of the other would soon fade away just like everything else they had encountered in the forest.

Miroku and Sango panicked trying to think of ideas on how to get Inuyasha and Kagome out of the ground that had sucked them inside. They had made several attempts to get into the ground but nothing seemed to work. Miroku then noticed a small crack in the ground, hidden by the shadow of the tree.

"Kirara, fly down over by that tree", Miroku gestured.

"What's going on Miroku?" Sango asked.

"I see a small crack in the ground. The large bang before that sucked up Kagome and Inuyasha somehow left a few small openings that could possibly lead to their location."

From the darkness of the ground emerged Sango, or what appeared to be Sango.

"Inuyasha! Kagome! I know a way out!" Sango shouted.

_`Great, more illusions`_, both Inuyasha and Kagome thought to themselves.

_`Well we should follow just in case`_ Inuyasha figured.

They ran after Sango, trying not to lose her. She came to a tree which had what looked like a jewel shard partially tucked away inside a piece of the bark.

"If we touch that, we will be out of the forest in no time at all", Sango assured.

"Where's Miroku?" Inuyasha questioned.

"He is already out of the forest waiting for us. I was already out but I came back for you guys".

"How'd you get back in here, Sango?" Kagome asked curiously.

"That's not important, now come on!" Sango said forcefully.

**"DON'T DO IT!"**, Miroku shouted from outside of the crack.

Inuyasha and Kagome both quickly placed their hands away from the counterfeit jewel in the tree which left an angry expression on the illusionary Sango's face.

"The real Sango is up here with me!" Miroku assured while Sango peaked her head out.

"That imposter isn't me I can assure you. Hurry out of here before anything else can get in your way!" the real Sango commanded.

"That's not even a real jewel shard!" Kagome affirmed.

"If that's not a real jewel shard, then it has no use for us. We're gettin' outta here", Inuyasha stated with determination.

Kagome and Inuyasha ran to the crack in the ground and climbed out. They looked at each other and realized how they were together the whole time after their embrace by the stream. That would mean that they weren't illusions. It was all real! Kagome gave Inuyasha a look and they both blushed fiercely. Sango noticed the redness in their cheeks.

"Uhm, what happened while you were down there?" Sango asked.

"Uh…" Inuyasha muttered tongue-tied.

Miroku raised his eyebrow and began to nudge Inuyasha which wasn't the best idea. Inuyasha punched him in the face almost knocking him out cold, which caused both Sango and Kagome to giggle.

"Yeah… its okay, I don't like to kiss and tell either", said the amorous monk.

Inuyasha began walking over to Kagome with a light smile on his face. As quick as lightning, Kaida jumped down right in the middle causing Inuyasha to jump back with his weapon ready for attack.

"Haha, always ready to start a battle Inuyasha." Kaida sneered.

"Well I guess you know me pretty well then", Inuyasha retorted.

"Yeah, you could say that", Kaida snickered.

"I'm tired of you already. Why are you alive anyway? Time to die!"

Inuyasha slammed his Tetsusaiga on the ground and used his Wind Scar to get rid of Kaida. She jumped out of the way and the Wind Scar headed straight for Kagome. Kagome tried to run but she wasn't fast enough. Before they all knew it, she was hit.


	5. One Strike from Tetsusaiga

"Hahaha, I guess I do know you pretty well, seeing as to how my plan worked perfectly. I knew you would strike your pathetic, weak sword at me." Kaida laughed as she transformed into dust and floated away.

Inuyasha was trying to take this all in. Because of that stupid demon Kaida, Kagome was now on the verge of dying.

**"WIND SCARRRRRR!"** Inuyasha screamed as he lashed Tetsusaiga in the air at Kaida just before she escaped from the barrier. Kaida's ashes began to shrivel up into pure air.

"No! How could this be? How did-", but before Kaida could finish she was nothing but vapor. Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga combined with Kaida's power was enough to break the barrier and put an end to her life. But after that incident, Inuyasha stood there motionless.

He was in utter shock with his eyes widened, overwhelmed with the scent of Kagome's blood. He ran as fast as he possibly could over to Kagome followed by Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara.

**"KAGOME!"** Inuyasha screamed. He stared at her while she lay on the ground bleeding and unconscious. "I'm so sorry for doing this to you, Kagome. I'm so sorry".

Inuyasha leaned over Kagome and took her in his arms, pressing her lightly against himself. A small tear gently made its way down his cheek as he gritted his teeth. His bangs covered his glossy eyes. Emotions were usually something Inuyasha had the better of but not at that moment.

Sango and Miroku jumped off of Kirara's back who then transformed back into her tiny self. They both kneeled down on the ground and stared in terror at what they all thought to be a dead Kagome.

"Inuyasha, you didn't mean for this to happen. It isn't your fault", Miroku said comfortingly while Sango wept quietly.

"**OH YEAH? HOW IS IT NOT MY FAULT? IT WAS MY TETSUSAIGA, MY WINDSCAR THAT HIT HER!**" Inuyasha shouted, his watery eyes now visible.

Kagome's eyes began to flutter a bit until she finally opened them very slowly, seeing all her friends crowded around her. Being a human, they didn't expect her to survive a strike from Tetsusaiga.

"W-what happened?" Kagome asked as she tried to get up. She fell back down holding her side as she squinted from the piercing pain.

"Don't get up, you're badly injured", Inuyasha said, relieved that she was alive.

"I am so glad you are okay!" Sango cried.

"We must quickly get you over to Kaede's village. You lost a lot of blood, Kagome." Miroku proclaimed.

"I don't understand. How did all this happen? I don't remember a thing", Kagome whimpered.

"No time to talk. Miroku, help her onto my back", Inuyasha ordered. Miroku cocked an eyebrow up and grinned.

"Uh, on second thought, Sango you help her onto my back."

"Inuyasha, this is no time to get overprotective. I can get Kagome on your back", Miroku insisted. With that, he gently picked up Kagome and secured her on Inuyasha's back, quickly groping her in the process.

"Miroku if Kagome wasn't on my back right now, you wouldn't have legs to walk on", Inuyasha snarled.

"I'd help you accomplish that, Inuyasha", Sango remarked irritably. She grabbed her boomerang and swung it under Miroku's calves, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Well, at least I know she cares enough about me to get jealous…" Miroku whispered under his breath.

"What was THAT, Miroku?" Sango scowled.

"Uh, nothing, my sweet Sango!"

"That's what I thought!" Sango said as she pointed her nose up in the air and walked away.

"Would you guys stop bickering for cryin' out loud? We have to get to Kaede's!" Inuyasha exclaimed fiercely.

Sango and Miroku hopped onto the transformed Kirara. In a matter of seconds, Inuyasha was racing over to Kaede's village with Kagome on his back and Sango and Miroku following closely behind on Kirara.

Kagome began to slip in and out of consciousness. Before long, she was completely out cold.

**…OUT OF CONSCIOUSNESS…**

Kagome found herself in a meadow. It was very foggy but she could still see the wild flowers that surrounded her. The place looked oddly familiar and very beautiful. She giggled and fell back into the dandelions. As soon as she sat up, she felt an unbearable pain. Kagome glanced behind her at the white dandelions that were now spattered with bits of red. She looked to see that it was her own blood. There were marks on the ground; five deep, malicious strips from something that led out into the field.

As she followed the path of the marks in the ground with her eyes, she could see the bone eaters well. Standing beside it was Inuyasha. Kagome called out to him, but he said nothing. Something scared her about him. He didn't answer, but he gave her this look. This glare. It frightened her yet she didn't know why. He didn't even blink. He just glared at her. She was too weak to move from all the blood she was losing. Then from out of the well appeared Kikyo. Inuyasha grabbed Kikyo's hand and helped her out of the well.

"Did you do it?" Kikyo asked.

"Yeah, she won't be alive for much longer", Inuyasha guaranteed, patting Tetsusaiga in its case.

Kagome realized what she hadn't wanted to know. The strips in the ground were markings from Tetsusaiga. Markings that aimed for her. She couldn't believe it. Inuyasha tried to kill her! Kagome started to become numb.

**…BACK IN CONCIOUSNESS…**

Kagome felt wind hitting her face but was too weak to really understand what was going on. She looked down only to realize that she was on Inuyasha's back and a feeling of panic took over her. She let out a slight gasp due to the fear that now besieged her and because of her lack of blood.

As soon as they all reached Kaede's hut, Inuyasha rushed Kagome inside and gently laid her across a small mat on the floor.

"Kaede! Where is the old hag?" Inuyasha screeched.

"Kaede!" Sango and Miroku yelled in unison.

"What ails ye?" Kaede asked concerned.

"Kaede! Kaede! Come quick! Kagome is badly injured!" Shippo squealed.

"Oh my. How did this happen to her?" Kaede asked while she examined Kagome's badly wounded body.

"Well you see, Inuyasha hit her with his wind scar when he was trying to kill the demon Kaida", Shippo ranted.

"That's enough, ya little weasel", Inuyasha fumed as he hit Shippo on the head.

**"IM A FOX AND YOU SHOULDN'T HIT ME FOR TELLING LADY KAEDE THE TRUTH!"** Shippo cried.

"I am just trying to figure out how the poor girl survived such a brutal hit", Kaede wondered out loud.

"Well she does still have the jewel shards around her neck. Thank goodness for that because otherwise she would have been dead. The shards must have put up a barrier around her that was enough to protect her from Tetsusaiga taking her life but not strong enough to leave her unharmed." Miroku assumed.

"Sango, do me a favor and please go get some herbs for her. They should help her to heal as well as plenty of good rest", Kaede assured.

"I'm right on it", Sango affirmed.

"I'll go with you", Miroku suggested.

"Fine, but no funny stuff or the herbs will be needed to heal YOU."

"What do you think I am, my dear Sango? Some sort of pervert?"

"You took the words right out of my mouth…" Sango murmured.

Miroku and Sango ran off into the woods to go find some healing herbs. Meanwhile, Inuyasha, Kaede, Shippo, and Kirara watched over Kagome.

"Arg, what's takin' so long?" Inuyasha asked impatiently.

"They should be back soon", Kaede guaranteed.

"Is Kagome going to be okay?" Shippo questioned sorrowfully as he sniffled.

**"OF COURSE SHE WILL, YOU PEST!"** Inuyasha shouted and with that, he stormed out of the room.

"What's with him?" Shippo inquired.

"He is just worried about Kagome's health. Just give it time and everything will be back to normal", Kaede said comfortingly.

Sango walked through the door with herbs and Miroku with a handprint across his face.

"Well, I can't imagine why you would have such a large handprint across your face, Miroku", Shippo teased.

"I merely tripped and fell onto my dear Sango, that's all." Miroku lied.

"Uh huh, and your hand happened to find its way over to my butt, right?" Sango bawled. "HMPH!" was all she managed to yell as she handed Kaede the herbs and walked out of the room.

"What can I say? My hands have a mind of their own!" Miroku joked.

"I'll just give Kagome these herbs and we will wait it out", Kaede announced.

Now all they would need is time.


	6. Painful Memories

Inuyasha entered the room Kagome was in and paced back and forth, muttering to himself. Shippo stared at him intently, his eyes following Inuyasha's every step from one side of the room to the other.

"What are you starin at?" Inuyasha grumbled.

"Uh… nothing!" Shippo responded as he quickly looked in the opposite direction.

"Feh", Inuyasha mumbled. He was in no mood to put up with Shippo.

"Why isn't she better yet, Kaede?" Shippo asked worriedly.

"It takes time for the herbs to kick in but she should be awakening soon."

"It's been hours!" Shippo whined.

"Aye Shippo, but all we can do is wait", Kaede said.

From the corner of Inuyasha's eye, he could see Kagome slightly squirming and fluttering her eyes gently. As soon as he caught a glimpse of this, he rushed over to her side.

"Kagome? Are you awake?" Inuyasha asked softly.

"Y-yeah. I'm awa- ***GASP***" Kagome trembled.

"What's the matter?" Inuyasha questioned.

"Uh, well, it's nothing. I'm fine", Kagome quivered and swung her legs off the table, ready to get up and move to the far end of the room away from Inuyasha. Only she hadn't totally regained her strength so she whimpered in trivial pain.

"No, don't move. You should continue to rest. You were really badly injured and shouldn't be moving without tons of rest", Inuyasha said in a doctor-like manner. He lightly patted Kagome's back, urging her to sit back down but she resisted.

"I said I'm fine", Kagome blurted irritably.

Inuyasha noticed a look of discomfort in Kagome's eyes, almost as if she feared him, but he couldn't understand why.

_`Why is she looking at me like that? She has never looked at me like that before`_, Inuyasha thought to himself, uncertain of the look Kagome was giving him.

Kagome held her side and wobbled over to the other side of the room to sit down by the fire. Shippo scurried over and accompanied her while Inuyasha tried to figure out what he did wrong.

_`I don't understand… maybe she's just a little out of it from what happened to her. Or, or maybe, maybe she had a fight with Sango recently and it just put her in a bad mood. Yeah, that's it. A bad mood. That's all. No… that can't be it. I've never seen that look on her face in all the time that I've known her`_. Inuyasha sat down and stared at the ground trying to recall what he might have done to set her anger off.

Meanwhile, Kagome sat Indian style in front of the fire, feeling better as the healing herbs started to really kick in. She had a frightened look plastered on her face and stared into the fireplace. Shippo took notice to her petrified appearance and wondered what she could possibly be thinking about.

_`Why was he worried about me when I had regained consciousness when he is the one who tried to kill me in the first place?`_ Kagome thought to herself. This dream she had in her unconscious state had become her reality. She didn't realize that what she dreamt about was nothing but a figment of her imagination.

_`Oh, it's too obvious… Kikyo probably ditched him again. Too bad she didn't pin him back up to that tree. Wait a minute… what am I saying? I'd never wish for something like that to happen to Inuyasha. No matter what he did to me, I do still love him and I can't even deny that to myself,`_ Kagome then glanced over at Inuyasha. Inuyasha sensed eyes on him and looked back at Kagome. Kagome was quick to look away from him and back into the fire which Inuyasha definitely noticed.

_`I just feel so uncomfortable around him now. Thank goodness that terrible stare he gave me over by the well when he tried to swing his Tetsu-`_ All of a sudden chills ran up and down her spine. Shippo could feel her whole body shake as he lay upon her lap but still he laid quiet leaving Kagome to her thoughts.

_`Well, thank god that look has changed. He looks so sincere now when he gazes at me. But he can't just expect me to forget that. What does he think, that I'm dumb? Does he think I'm going to just forget that he wanted to kill me?`_ Kagome slammed her fists into the floor startling Shippo and causing him to jump out of her lap. Sometimes she let her anger get that best of her.

Kagome let out a long sigh. _`Oh well, I came here to find the jewel shards and I'm not going to leave until I do. It's my fault we are on a search for them anyway… and… well, I don't really want to leave Inuyasha… even if he wanted to hurt me…`_

And that's when she realized. He _wanted_ to hurt her. Or so she thought.

Shippo was getting tired of not knowing what was going on with Kagome and why she appeared to be so uptight. It wasn't like him to keep so quiet under such circumstances.

"Kagome…" Shippo said softly. Kagome was still deep in thought.

"KAGOME", this time Shippo shouted which caused Kagome to snap out of it.

"What's wrong, Shippo?" Kagome asked as she snapped out of her daze.

"I should be asking you that. What's been up with you? You've been acting pretty strange if you ask me."

"Nothing's the matter", Kagome lied. She turned her back to him.

"Not the way I see it", Inuyasha said after eavesdropping. He stood up and started approaching Kagome.

"Really, it's nothing Shipp-" Kagome said with her back still facing what she thought was Shippo until she turned around and realized it was Inuyasha. Kagome let out a frightened gasp.

"Oh really? Then tell me, why is it whenever I move toward you, you back away from me?" Inuyasha interrogated in an annoyed voice. His warm, amber eyes showed his true sincerity and confusion.

She stood up preparing to back away even more but the fire was right behind her leaving her with nowhere else to go.

_`Why is she acting this way?`_ Inuyasha wondered.

"For the last time, nothing's wrong! Now move!" Kagome ordered but didn't move from her spot. She feared that Inuyasha would hurt her again.

"Not until you tell me what's really wrong!" Inuyasha shouted.

**"MOVE!"** Kagome demanded clenching her fists and squeezing her eyes shut. She would've stamped her foot but she didn't want to trigger his anger. As if screaming at him wasn't enough.

**"WHAT'S YOUR GOD DAMN PROBLEM?"** Inuyasha screamed stepping closer to her.

All of a sudden, memories of her blood splattering in the meadow she was in and Inuyasha aiming his Tetsusaiga towards her started replaying in her mind. Kagome did the only thing she could think of.

"Demon! Behind you!" Kagome shouted pointing over his shoulder.

Inuyasha turned around but there was no demon. The only thing he saw was Kagome running past him right out of Kaede's hut. Inuyasha noticed her scent was still sweet but it was also mixed in with the scent of pure fear.

Inuyasha would've gone after her if it weren't for Shippo who jumped on him and clung tightly around his head and wound his hands around Inuyasha's eyes.

"Let her be, Inuyasha! Can't you see she's upset? Just give her some time to cool off. Obviously she doesn't want you around right now, I mean who could blame her." Shippo squealed.

"Why I outta!" Inuyasha threatened. Shippo yelped and hid behind Kaede as she walked into the room.

"What's all this commotion?" Kaede asked with Sango and Miroku trailing behind her.

"And where's Kagome?" Sango questioned looking around the room.

"Feh, who cares? I don't need Kagome around here anyway", Inuyasha lied. Good thing he sat down and closed his eyes because his amber eyes could give away the slightest bit of emotion he was feeling just by looking into them. He truly wanted to go look for her but he was way too proud… and way too stubborn.

Kagome was running nonstop through the forest trying as hard as she possibly could to hold back her tears. She eventually tripped over a tree root that stuck out a bit from the tree's stump. It was no use getting up because she was just too weak from her semi-healed injuries.

Kagome lay limply, staring into the night sky and listening to the owls. Red eyes lit up all around the forest. She knew it wasn't safe to be out at this time of night by herself and unarmed. The forest was always full of demons and in her condition she couldn't fend for herself. She could barely protect herself with her health being fully intact. Thoughts of what just happened replayed in her mind.

Suddenly, her eyes widened. She recalled a vague memory that had taken place not too long ago.

***FLASHBACK***

The place of Naraku's so called illusions of death was filled with demons. Inuyasha was fighting Kaida in an open field with Sango and Miroku nearby, ready to help him if needed. Kagome didn't have a bow and arrow with her so she was useless in this situation. Kagome backed up a little into the forest to keep out of danger from Kaida who tried to harm her.

Kagome had a strange feeling within her. She was too distracted by a weird aura that surrounded her body to focus on the fight between Inuyasha and Kaida. Kagome quickly heard a rattle in the bushes and trees in the forest. She could've sworn she saw someone pass by abruptly but couldn't figure out who… and the last thing she knew, she was knocked unconscious. That person she saw… so familiar…


	7. Flashbacks of the Truth

_**Previously - - **_

…_**FLASHBACK…**_

_Kagome had a strange feeling within her. She was too distracted by a weird aura that surrounded her body to focus on the fight between Inuyasha and Kaida. Kagome quickly heard a rattle in the bushes and trees in the forest. She could've sworn she saw someone pass by abruptly but couldn't figure out who… and the last thing she knew, she blacked out. That person… so familiar…_

Kagome shot up from the cold ground with a look of complete confusion on her face.

"What was it that I saw in the forest behind the bushes?" She asked herself.

She slowly stood up so as not to lose her balance, for she was still weak after all she had been through. More and more flashbacks started becoming fresh in her mind. She could hardly remember her own name once she regained consciousness after the brutal hit she took from Tetsusaiga but now everything was starting to become clearer… everything except how Inuyasha didn't really hurt her.

Kagome wasn't sure which way it was back to Kaede's hut and quite frankly, she was in no rush to go back there. For all she knew, Inuyasha could be waiting to slice her up into little pieces with his sharp claws. Kagome winced at the thought of being harmed again. But then Kagome remembered the flashback of Inuyasha and her other friends fighting Kaida.

`If I remember watching Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango fighting Kaida while I stayed a good distance away before I got hurt, then why do I also remember Inuyasha and Kikyo being the ones who tried to hurt me?`

Kagome continued walking as she tried to figure out how it really was that she got hurt and which of the two scenarios to believe was true. Mostly she couldn't get her mind off of who the person lingering in the forest could've possibly been.

"That person in the forest… so familiar… _too_ familiar, actually…" Kagome said aloud, looking at the ground and scratching her chin in thought.

Kagome looked up and stopped dead in her tracks, only to become face to face with the undead woman herself. Kikyo. It seemed as though she just appeared from out of nowhere. Kagome hadn't sensed anybody's presence at all.

"Ah, and why may I ask are you wandering around such a dark forest?" Kikyo smirked as she looked around, taking notice that Kagome was by herself.

"…and without Inuyasha. You should know better than that. Some demon could be lurking out here ready to eat you alive", Kikyo gave Kagome a wicked grin.

"Hmph, as if I need him to protect me…" Kagome retorted. By the look of confidence on her face, you could've never guessed that Kagome really did need Inuyasha. That moment would've been a great time for him to show up, though. But Kikyo looked right past Kagome's optimistic act and knew the real truth.

"Hm… maybe you're right. I mean, after all, he IS the one who nearly killed you with his precious sword. Why would he protect you if he was trying to get rid of you?" Kikyo replied deviously.

Before Kagome could think of a clever answer, another flashback came to her. This one could be the one to answer some of the questions that were basically torturing her. OR it could put her into a deeper state of confusion.

…**FLASHBACK…**

_Kagome glanced into the forest trying to figure out who it was lurking in the bushes. She squinted her eyes and finally saw the outfit of a priestess. That priestess being Kikyo. Kagome quickly gasped as she saw Kikyo transform into one of her very own soul collectors._

_ "Kik-" Kagome whispered looking a bit disturbed at Kikyo's presence._

_She was cut off as she blacked out. The last thing she saw was the soul collector approaching her, and rapidly too._

…**END FLASHBACK…**

"You became a soul collector to go inside my body…" Kagome said breathily, without another thought in her mind.

So much for Kikyo's clever plan. Kagome could tell that something was up being that she could recall Kikyo forming into a soul collector and heading straight for her body. What Kikyo didn't know was that Kagome was engulfed by her own confusion towards the situation. If Kikyo hadn't known any better, she would've assumed Kagome figured the entire plan out.

"Well, I guess you are smarter than I thought. Who would've known, I mean after hanging out with that half-breed Inuyasha I figured you'd be dumber than bricks," Kikyo said in a frustrated tone.

This comment about Inuyasha angered Kagome, but being the clever girl that she was, she made it seem as though she knew everything about Kikyo's little scheme as an attempt to get Kikyo to spill everything to her.

"Well, I guess all is not lost. Part of my plan worked considering you are no longer with Inuyasha", Kikyo said wholeheartedly.

"Eh… well uhm… what didn't work in your plan?" Kagome said, almost making it completely obvious that she wanted to know more.

"It seems I have underestimated you, seeing as you have figured this all out. Kaida and I were working together to distract Inuyasha from hovering over you incessantly like a love sick puppy. Kaida went to put up a good fight with him, leaving you to fend for yourself. We both knew that Inuyasha would use his lame excuse for a sword to hit Kaida with the wind scar, that being his only attack, and Kaida planned to stay in front of you and turn to ash, leaving the wind scar to hit you head on. As it turned out, it did hit you, but his attempt to kill Kaida with Tetsusiaga happened a few seconds too late being that you saw me turn into a soul collector and enter your body to affect your conscience."

Kagome stood dumbstruck by what she was hearing.

_`Kikyo was affecting my conscience… oh my god… its all beginning to make sense…`_

"Yeah, so… you were in my conscience", Kagome said as though this wasn't new information.

"The vision I put into your conscience turned you against him, as I knew it would. The vision of Inuyasha betraying you with me was enough to make you go insane with anger. Any fool would know that bottled up jealousy you have. You are so afraid that Inuyasha will forever love me and forget about you."

**The vision of Inuyasha betraying you with me. **That line kept replaying in her mind. Kagome realized that Inuyasha didn't betray her. It all played a part in Kikyo's conniving plan.

"I knew that would be the perfect plan to get you away from him for a while. Kaida dying was _not_ part of the plan so I had to work alone in getting you to distrust Inuyasha", Kikyo blurted.

"But… why didn't you both just kill me there and then when you had the chance? Instead you went into my body as a soul collector which only kept me alive…" Kagome wondered.

"Well, I wasn't planning on having you die because that would mean you'd be done and rid of. I first had to accomplish my goal of having you and Inuyasha be against each other… the way me and him were, before I died and he was pinned to the tree…" Kikyo said with a saddened yet angry look on her face. The ground was all Kikyo could look at as she spoke about Inuyasha.

"But, Kagome, with you dead, Inuyasha would just have a grudge against me for this whole arrangement with Kaida and Naraku! He isn't completely dense; he knows we all worked together. It only makes sense that he would be suspicious of my role in all of this after I threatened the two of you when you were ON TOP of him at the Bone Eaters Well!" Kikyo was bawling now.

This was very hard for Kagome to absorb all at once. It was unusual to see Kikyo lose her cool like this. She usually remained very cool and stoic, never revealing more than an ounce of emotion. What concerned Kagome more was the way she had just treated Inuyasha in Kaede's hut. Now he would never want to speak to her again.

_`Wow, and I treated him like dirt for nothing… I know how he is… he's not going to care if I come back or not… but even if I did-`_ Kagome's thoughts were interrupted by Kikyo's voice once again.

"Hm, but who knows actually… now that I think about it, maybe it wasn't only my soul collector that kept you alive… I could've gotten my soul collector out of you in an instant and let you die… but the jewel shards around your neck… that's what probably kept your frail body alive", Kikyo seethed.

Kagome looked at the jewel shards dangling in the little glass bottle around her neck. With one hand she gently took hold of the small bottle and lightly squeezed it, as if to thank it for saving her life. Kagome then looked back up at Kikyo, reminded of all the things she had done to her in the past. This scheme of hers had gone a little too far for her to remain calm.

"Well Kikyo, it seems to me like you wouldn't have done this unless you were still in love with Inuyasha, am I right? That's too bad he doesn't love you anymore… maybe this experience is tearing your clay heart in half… what a crying shame" Kagome snapped.

"Well, MY guess is that he doesn't love you either", Kikyo grinned.

"And why would you say that?" Kagome scolded.

"Because _Kagome _has chosen to be with Sesshomaru, and wants to kill Inuyasha", Kikyo snickered.

"What? What are you talking about?" Kagome's heart was racing.

"Go see for yourself…" Kikyo said as she vanished into the forest.

Without a second thought, Kagome raced back to Kaede's hut using her good senses as a way to try to guide her there. She ran to the window and heard a lot of shouting going on inside the hut. She ducked below the window only peeking her head over a little to see what was going on inside. Kagome's eyes widened as she looked inside and saw exactly what she didn't want to see…


	8. Deception

"What in the world are you doing, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked with a disturbed, shocked expression on his face. Naraku, who was transformed into what looked like an exact replica of Kagome, was holding Tetsusaiga to Inuyasha's throat, pinning him against the wall.

"Haven't I made it obvious, Inuyasha? Or did you really think I'd ever love a pathetic half demon like yourself? I'd choose Sesshomaru over you any day, and today is as good a day as any other for me to finally let you in on that little secret!" the fake Kagome said, her vacant eyes fixed firmly on Inuyasha.

"Sesshomaru! What ever happened to you despising humans?" Inuyasha struggled to say with his own sword forced against his throat.

"Kagome is an exception, little brother. Kagome is what any good mortal should be like. Unlike your mother on the other hand, who gave humans a bad name!" Sesshomaru had crossed the line.

Inuyasha pushed the sword away from his neck and went to attack Sesshomaru.

**"Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!"**

However, Sesshomaru was took quick for him. He leaped out of the way, causing Inuyasha to almost strike the imposter Kagome.

"What, are you going to try and hurt me AGAIN, half breed?" The imitation of Kagome shouted.

**"THAT'S NOT ME, INUYASHA! I'M RIGHT HERE!"** The real Kagome shrieked as she jumped up and down waving her hands in the air in order to grab Inuyasha's attention.

"You pathetic girl… he can't see you so quit your yelling already, it's giving me a headache."

Kagome turned around to see Kagura leaning against a nearby tree with her arms crossed. She looked completely unfazed by Naraku's evil scheme going on inside the hut.

"What have you done to me!" Kagome fumed while cupping both hands around her throat. "Why am I not seen or heard by Inuyasha and the others!"

"It's Kikyo who has rendered you invisible and unheard to the ears and eyes of Inuyasha and your other pitiful friends. However, Naraku and Sesshomaru still have the power to see you, as do I", Kagura retorted, appearing uninterested.

"Why has Naraku transformed into a look-alike of me?" Kagome asked, rage still consuming her.

"Kikyo managed to locate a few jewel shards from demons that had been slaughtered at villages, even ones that came after her in which she used her own sacred arrows to destroy. She still has those shards of the sacred jewel in her possession", Kagura informed.

"Yeah, but what has that got to do with me?" Kagome beseeched. Both of her hands tightened into fists. So much, in fact, that her nails were beginning to cut into her skin.

"Kikyo came to Naraku, trying to reach an agreement. As it seems, she wants nothing more than to see Inuyasha's demise and will go to any measures to reach this desire of hers. Naraku was asked to make it appear as though you are betraying Inuyasha, killing him in the process. In exchange, she would provide Naraku with her jewel shards. Ironic that she's trying to turn you and Inuyasha against each other yet she has no knowledge of ever being betrayed the same way by Naraku."

Naraku's eyes flashed out towards the window at Kagura, overhearing her words. He returned his focus to Inuyasha.

"Ka-Kagome…how…could you…" Inuyasha struggled to say as he gasped for air.

Kagome stopped conversing with Kagura and turned around to look inside the window. Inuyasha tumbled to the floor, no longer appearing alive. A pool of his own blood surrounded his body. Naraku, still disguised as Kagome, had grabbed Tetsusaiga and jabbed it into Inuyasha's stomach.

"**NO! INUYASHAAA!**" Kagome cried, tears pouring down her cheeks.

She ran inside the hut still voiceless and invisible. Tears trickled along side her cheek and dampened her clothing. Naraku left the hut with Sesshomaru following at a close distance.

"We shall let the girl see her beloved Inuyasha perish before her very eyes", Naraku said once they began walking into the forest. He transformed back into his baboon clothing.

"As for you, Kagura. Defying me again, were you?"

"Why do you think I defy-" Kagura was cut off.

"Telling the young priestess of the arrangement between Kikyo and myself. You'll pay a great deal for that", Naraku warned.

Kagura became angered at the thought of being held captive by Naraku. He gave her life and she knew very well that he could take it away just as quickly.

"Inuyasha! I swear, it wasn't me that did this to you!" Kagome agonized.

"**NARAKU, YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THISSS!**" This time, Kagome thundered. Every ounce of anger and frustration in her body broke loose.

Her anger and desire for vengeance combined together broke the barrier around herself that was causing her to be unseen and unheard.

"Stay back, Sango! Let me handle this!" Miroku raged.

"**WIND TUNNEL!"**

But before Miroku could release the cloth covering his deadly wind tunnel, Kagome ran over to him and used her own hands to cover his.

"Please, Miroku, listen to me. I didn't do this, I would never. Naraku has once again deceived Inuyasha into thinking it was me who betrayed him!" Kagome pleaded for him to understand. All of a sudden, a small, red gem popped out from inside Miroku's forehead and disintegrated into thin air. Miroku's once blank look vanished, returning his soft, blue eyes back to their old selves.

"**Hirakotsu!**" Sango shouted, unwilling to believe Kagome's truthful words.

Miroku jumped in front of Kagome with his arms spread out on both sides before Sango had a chance to release her weapon.

"Miroku…what are you doing?" Sango asked with confusion enveloping her voice.

"Naraku has deceived Inuyasha before with Kikyo. Why would he hesitate to repeat the same act of betrayal?" Miroku crooned.

"You expect me to believe that? I'll finish her off!" Sango shouted yet again as she lunged towards Kagome.

Kagome held her hands out in front of her and gently placed them on Sango's shoulders.

"Please, Sango, please. I promise you I would never cause any of you harm."

Yet again, a red gem burst out from inside of Sango's forehead, returning Sango's sweet, emotion-filled eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Kagome", Sango pleaded as she wept softly in Kagome's arms.

"I understand, Sango. You and Miroku were both under mind control from Naraku to distrust me. I know he must have done it so you wouldn't interfere with his plan to transform into a look alike of me and betray Inuyasha."

Inuyasha began to squirm on the floor. His eyes fluttered a bit before slowly opening, still keeping them squinted a bit so that the brightness of the fire wouldn't sting his amber eyes.

"Inuyasha, you're alive!" Kagome screamed, tears of happiness forming in her eyes. She ran over by his side as he tried to use his arms to prop himself up. Kagome tried helping him up by grabbing his arm, but he immediately shook her off.

"Don't even think about touching me", Inuyasha bellowed with a distraught look in his eyes.

"Inuyasha, you don't understand, I wasn't the one who-"

"Save it. Kikyo turned against me, and you, being her reincarnation, followed exactly in her footsteps", Inuyasha seethed, trying to loathe her but his love for her overpowering that feeling. Still, he wouldn't let her know that anytime soon.

"She speaks the truth. It was Naraku who tried to turn you two against each other", Miroku explained, trying to convince Inuyasha of the truth.

"Just like he once did to you and Kikyo, so you must understand", Sango agreed.

"Feh, don't look to me as if I should be understanding. Maybe Sesshomaru can help you to feel better. I mean, you would pick HIM over ME any day, RIGHT?", Inuyasha got up but fell back down again due to his new, deep wound.

"Not a chance! Inuyasha, I'm telling you that wasn't me! What in your right mind would make you think I'd ever be with a guy like Sesshomaru? Better yet, in what galaxy would Sesshomaru ever want to be with a mortal being? You need to sit down and let your wounds heal. You may be tough, but wounds as deep as that need time to mend", Kagome responded sternly.

"I said don't touch me," Inuyasha was serious now. No matter how much pain he was in both physically and mentally, stubbornness never ceased to overcome him.

Inuyasha stood up and made his way over to the door. Kagome continued to kneel down on the floor, unable to watch Inuyasha leave her. Apparently, she wouldn't be able to make Inuyasha believe her so easily. After all, betrayal was something he had now become very familiar with.

"You must believe her, Inuyasha. Naraku had Sango and I under mind control while it was happening so we couldn't stop anything from occurring", Miroku hoped Inuyasha had begun to believe him.

"Feh, maybe it's Kagome controlling your minds into believing such a ridiculous story", Inuyasha said sarcastically.

As soon as Inuyasha left the hut, Miroku and Sango walked over to Kagome, who was still kneeling on the ground, her bangs covering her glossy eyes.

"Kagome, don't let Inuyasha get the best of you. I know he may be stubborn, but he's still smart. He knows better than to think you would betray him. Just the shock of everything has got him down, that's all", Miroku said comfortingly as he gently put his hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"Yeah, Kagome. Sometimes he just needs to be by himself for a little, you know, to make sense of everything", Sango agreed reassuringly.

"Yeah? Is that what he's doing?" Kagome asked sardonically, feeling completely unconvinced by their words. She stood up with her back's turned to her two friends.

"Of course, Kagome," Sango replied.

"Well then why do I feel so awful…"

Kagome's head dropped as her quiet sobs were heard by Miroku and Sango.

"I'm going home…"

Both Miroku and Sango knew better than to say anything. They had come to learn that nothing they could say would change Kagome's mind.

Kagome gathered her things and loaded them into her bright yellow backpack. She hoisted it onto her shoulders and wobbled a bit due to the weight of the knapsack. Without further ado, Kagome headed out of the hut.

Small cries were heard inside the hut near where Kirara was sitting. Sango went over to see what was the matter only to find Shippo crying into Kirara's leg.

"Will… Kagome… ever… come back?" Shippo managed to ask in between his sobs.

"Yes, Shippo. She just needs some time alone and then she'll be back," Sango said as she looked uncertainly back at Miroku at the other end of the room. Miroku looked at her with doubt in his eyes as he held onto his staff, knowing Sango shouldn't have gotten Shippo's hopes up.

`_That stupid Naraku… now Inuyasha will never believe me. Why would he ever think I would betray him in the first place…'_ Kagome thought to herself as she stared at the ground. She brought her index finger up to her cheek and wiped away a newly fallen tear.

She was about a few feet away from the well when she heard a swooshing sound from the sky. Kagome turned around to see Kagura on her feather coming straight for her.

"Oh no, not now!" Kagome sighed as she prepared to run inside the well but Kagura swiftly steered her feather in front of the well, blocking Kagome's entrance.

"Isn't that a shame? No Inuyasha here to save the damsel in distress from danger? Could it be because you betrayed him?" Kagura let out a chuckle.

"You know damn well I didn't do that, Kagura! What ever happened to you being nice for a change when you told me why Naraku had transformed into a look alike of me?" Kagome shouted, once again clenching her fists.

Kagura had an angry expression take over her face as she looked down at the ground.

"People change…" Kagura retorted as she began to stand up and steady herself on the feather beneath her.

_`Oh great, what's she doing now?`_ Kagome wondered while trying to figure out Kagura's next move.

"Dance of Blades!" Kagura shouted as she swiped her fan towards Kagome.

Blades began to rush in Kagome's direction. Kagome knew she wasn't fast enough to dodge all of the blades coming towards her. She began to run aimlessly and as fast as her legs could carry her. Kagome screamed the first name that came to mind, someone who she knew she could rely on no matter what.

**"INUYASHAAAAA!"**

Inuyasha was walking through the forest, thinking over what had happened when his demon ear's picked up the sound of his name. His eyes widened as he looked out into the field ahead of him. He stopped dead in his tracks and began to smell the scent of blood. Kagome's blood. A look of horror filled his amber eyes.

"Kagome…"


	9. Guilty Conscience

"**KAGOME!**" Inuyasha screamed as he instantly bounced from tree to tree as fast as his legs could carry him. No matter how angry he was at her, his better senses automatically reacted causing him to rush to her rescue.

"You better not be dead, Kagome. Please just hang on!" Inuyasha fumed, furious with whomever caused any injuries to Kagome. He gritted his teeth as he made his way into the clearing.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" a voice screeched as the unidentified person charged in Kagome's direction, quickly grabbing her out of harm's way before Kagura's blades could kill her.

Inuyasha came skidding to a halt. "Huh?" He was stunned at the fact that somebody else had come to Kagome's rescue before himself.

Kagome's eyelids were squeezed shut, awaiting death which didn't seem to come. She did however feel a somewhat deep gash on her right arm, but nothing too serious. She slowly peered through one eye slit until she made out who had saved her.

"Koga?" Kagome continued to stare up into his crystal blue eyes.

"Stay here, Kagome, while I take care of this wench!" Koga set Kagome down with anger in his voice and determination in his eyes as he prepared to fight the one who had killed his comrades and was now targeting the love of his life.

"Ka-Kagome…" Inuyasha stammered taking a step forward with an outstretched hand, as the pain from the wound in his stomach began to resurface. Knowing Kagome had been in danger immediately had taken his mind off of the pain.

_`Wait a minute, I shouldn't go feeling sorry for her! She betrayed me! I even have the wound to prove it!`_ Inuyasha suddenly remembered her betrayal towards him but still he was glad that she wasn't badly injured.

Kagome flinched when she noticed Inuyasha not far from her. Her expression suddenly turned to one of anger. The thought of Inuyasha letting her die all because of Naraku's scheme crossed her mind and that was simply unforgivable.

_`How could he just go and believe that I would turn against him? I mean, he knows Naraku has done it in the past to Kikyo and himself yet still he remains untrusting of me. He's still trying to get Kikyo to understand that Naraku tricked them into thinking they betrayed one another and she still doesn't believe him after being dead 50 years! Is that what I'm going to have to go through to make Inuyasha understand?`_

Kagome's thoughts and angry glare at Inuyasha were disrupted due to the fighting taking place between Koga and Kagura.

"How dare you try to kill Kagome!" Koga howled as he kicked his legs up at Kagura's face.

Kagura didn't move quick enough for Koga's immense speed and felt the impact of his jewel shard embedded leg upon her face. Kagura had already taken a few bad blows to the head from Koga and decided it would be safest to return to Naraku's castle for the time being.

"This is far from over", Kagura warned as she floated up into the sky on her feather until she was out of sight.

"No one asked you to get involved you foolish wolf", Kagura said to herself.

"And besides, it's Kagome I'm after. Since Naraku overheard me telling Kagome his scheme, I have no other choice but to kill her."

**...FLASHBACK...**

Naraku and Kagura were deep in the woods, him being disguised in his usual baboon garb. Naraku had requested to speak with Kagura about her defiance to him and she had no other choice but to obey.

"Kagura, since you've chosen to disobey me I must demand a task from you to be fulfilled as a way to make sure you will never betray me again", Naraku spoke in his dark, icy tone.

"And if I do?" Kagura toyed with him even though she knew it wasn't a good idea. All of a sudden, she grasped on to her chest for dear life, feeling as though someone was ripping her heart out. She looked up at what Naraku had raised in his hand from beneath the baboon pelt.

"Here I have your heart. Should you choose to disobey me once more it will be easily destroyed", Naraku spoke sternly, giving her heart another minor squeeze as a threat.

Kagura fell to her knees in agony wishing for the pain to vanish, her eyes wide and bloodshot.

"Now, what I want you to do is kill the young priestess, the reincarnation of Kikyo. She seems to be a bigger threat than anyone would expect. It's clear she doesn't know the power she contains within her."

With that he grinned evilly at the task he had given Kagura, which she had yet to accomplish.

**...END FLASHBACK...**

"He will take my life if I do not take hers and I will not have that!" Kagura vented to no one but herself as she made her way back to the castle.

"Well that takes care of that, I'll avenge the death of my comrades if it kills me in the process but I sure as hell won't let her lay a finger on you!" Koga's hands were now squeezed into tight fists as he swung around and ran over to Kagome, holding her hands in his.

"You're my woman, Kagome. No one, and I mean NO ONE," Koga paused to glare at Inuyasha who huffed as he crossed his arms, "will get in the way of that!"

Kagome blushed as she shut her eyes and giggled, all of a sudden feeling uncomfortable. Especially since Inuyasha didn't intervene with his usual jealousy. Kagome, Koga, and Inuyasha looked up hearing the sound of panting. Ginta and Hakkaku came running up to Koga and Kagome as they struggled to catch their breath.

"Hey Koga, so are we gunna fight Kagura?" Hakkaku asked, his normal breathing patterns returning.

"Yeah, well if you clowns hadn't been so god damn SLOW, you would've noticed that she fled from battle already", Koga said feeling satisfied with himself.

"Hey Kagome!" The two both said in unison, overlooking what Koga had said.

"Hey, you two", Kagome smiled at Ginta and Hakkaku. She picked up her hand to wave at them when she felt a piercing pain in her arm.

"I almost forgot about this wound", Kagome said as she held the excessively bleeding slice in her arm.

Inuyasha peered over to see if the wound was severe but when she noticed him looking, he turned his head away, appearing uninterested.

"Ginta, Hakkaku, you two take Kagome to the den and make sure her wound is cleaned", Koga instructed.

"You got it, Koga!" Ginta replied, picking up Kagome and heading off to their den with Hakkaku along side.

When they were out of sight, only Koga and Inuyasha were left standing in the clearance by the well.

"Man, the poor girl has been through a lot today", Koga remarked as he sat down on the rim of the well, looking down deep in thought.

"What are you blabberin' about?" Inuyasha questioned facing Koga and walking toward him.

"Ginta and Hakkuka were out in the forest getting some meat for the den when they spotted Naraku and Kagura not too far."

"Go on", Inuyasha said impatiently, arms crossed and foot tapping.

"They snuck behind a tree to listen and when they finally were within earshot they overheard Naraku yelling at Kagura for defying him or something. Kagura supposedly told Kagome about some plan of Naraku's to get someone against her and Naraku got pissed. He threatened Kagura with her life if she didn't kill Kagome", Koga continued looking at the ground as he spoke.

"That's why I rushed out here to make sure Kagura wouldn't touch Kagome. I can't trust her to be protected by a mutt like you."

Inuyasha tensed up after hearing Koga's words. He ran over to Koga almost making him fall backwards into the well.

"Are you telling me the truth?" Inuyasha growled grasping onto Koga's armor.

"You better get your hands off of me, mutt face", Koga retorted.

"Just answer the question damn it!" Inuyasha released his grip on Koga waiting for an answer.

"This is all from what Ginta and Hakkaku told me and they are loyal to me, never would they lie. Unlike you, who has no idea what the word loyal even means! You could care less about Kagome's feelings, you probably were out in the forest looking for Kikyo!" Koga was fuming now.

"WHY YOU!" Inuyasha lunged for Koga, snarling in the process.

"Keep your filthy hands off of my Kagome, you hear me?" Koga threatened as he sped off to catch up with Ginta and Hakkaku.

Inuyasha snarled in Koga's direction before turning around with the overpowering feeling of guilt slowly taking over him.

"Naraku, you will surely pay for trying to make me think Kagome betrayed me!" Inuyasha screamed out loud, balling his fists into the sky.

"Never one lousy moment of peace with Kagome and I…"

Inuyasha slumped as he jumped up into a nearby tree knowing he had unrightfully blamed Kagome for something she most certainly didn't do.

_`How could I even think Kagome would do something like that to me?`_ Inuyasha sighed.

_`I should've known better.`_

Inuyasha straightened his posture to sniff the air. Even after the fight with Kagura and Koga something in the air still wasn't right.

And he sure as hell was going to find out what.


	10. The Secret's Out

Oh gosh! sorry again for the long wait but here is chapter 10! Read, Review, and most importantly... ENJOY!

* * * * *

With Kagome under Koga's guard, Inuyasha would not have to worry about her safety even though jealousy still ran strongly through his veins. Although Koga's overly affectionate ways with Kagome made Inuyasha cringe, Koga's immeasurable love for Kagome assured Inuyasha that her protection would be in good hands. This would give him a chance to inspect the unorthodox feelings he was having as well as the strange scents that tingled in his sensitive nose. He could sense it in the air that something was just not right.

"I don't know what's going on, but I'm sure as hell gunna find out", Inuyasha affirmed with determination in his deep voice.

Inuyasha jumped from tree to tree until he finally came to a halt after his keen ears picked up the sound of footsteps coming from a nearby location. He stealthily glanced in every direction, inspecting the area for any demons or humans in close proximity that could be responsible for the noise. He could make out a figure walking towards what appeared to be a white shrine with no windows, a chimney, and one wooden door at the entrance. The sun was beginning to rise which made it easier to distinguish who this mysterious person was… Kikyo.

"What is Kikyo up to now?" Inuyasha whispered wonderingly to himself. He couldn't help but be enamored by Kikyo's presence. He loathed the priestess's manipulative yet passive persona but her beauty always seemed to outweigh all that. However he quickly recoiled from those trifling feelings after remembering the urgency of this investigation.

Kikyo quietly entered the rundown shrine and suspiciously checked outside to make sure no one followed her before closing the door. Inuyasha craftily leaped onto the roof and made his way over to the chimney which was just wide enough for his physique. He climbed into it, extending his arms and legs out on all sides of the chimney walls once inside so as not to fall all the way down, and shimmied his way to the bottom. Once he reached the foundation, he shifted his body towards the side of the chimney to stay out of sight but was within earshot and eyeshot of Kikyo.

In the middle of the room was a large black cauldron that contained a luminous blue essence so bright that it lit up the majority of the room.

_'What could possibly be in there? And what does Kikyo have to do with all of this…' _Inuyasha thought as he gaped at the cauldron, bewildered by what was causing the glow from inside of the bulky, black pot. He hadn't realized he was sticking his head outside of the chimney to get a better look. Kikyo began to speak which sent Inuyasha flying back inside of the chimney, panting, in hopes that Kikyo hadn't seen him.

Kikyo leaned over the cauldron and spoke with her usual passive countenance.

"Kaida, I've come to revive you."

'_Kaida? How exactly does she plan on doing that? Boy, power has really gone to Kikyo's head…'_ Inuyasha lifted his brow, trying to figure out Kikyo's intentions.

"You cannot speak…yet. But you can hear my every word. You are merely a soul swimming throughout this cauldron. Once revived, you will follow my every command. Should you choose to disobey me, I will not hesitate to throw you into this pot and incinerate your very being. I trust you will value your second chance to be alive so I predict that you will follow all of my instructions. We have a visitor that should be arriving any minute now."

_'I've heard of this place… this is the Souls of the Underworld sanctuary. Exceptionally evil spirits don't pass over to Heaven or Hell because neither place will accept them, so they reside here. But who is this visitor Kikyo speaks of?'_ Inuyasha pondered who this mysterious visitor could be, knowing that if they were involved with Kikyo and Kaida, they couldn't be good.

Then, the large, wooden door slowly began to open, almost as if by itself. The shrine sounded like it was talking; creaking and crackling as a result of its old, dilapidated condition. A strong gust of wind sent the door flying completely open and a large figure stood motionlessly in the doorway. The unknown person slowly entered the room but their vast power was immediately recognized. Inuyasha squinted to make out who the person was and realized it was none other than his older half-brother Sesshomaru.

_'Sesshomaru and Kikyo... working together?!'_ Inuyasha couldn't believe his eyes. Of all the people he knew, Kikyo and Sesshomaru were the most fiercely independent, detesting the interference of any other beings and instead taking pleasure in living life (or in Kikyo's case, death) unaccompanied. Inuyasha perked up his ears and continued to listen intently.

"Good, you're here. I feared that you couldn't be trusted like your deceitful half-brother, Inuyasha." Kikyo announced. Inuyasha let out a growl low enough for only his delicate ears to hear.

Sesshomaru, ignoring Kikyo, walked over to the cauldron and peered inside. He used his good hand to grab Tenseiga out of its case and aimed it at Kaida's rapidly moving soul. A luminous blue aura quite like the one inside the cauldron surrounded Tenseiga. With one swish of his sword the power was sent shooting from Tenseiga and penetrated through Kaida's soul.

Almost instantly after, everything was dark just as it had been before. The only thing dimly lighting the room was the moonlight shining through the cracks of the door. Kikyo walked over to the cauldron and looked inside only to see purple dust.

"I know you're alive again, Kaida. Transform into your demon body, you will listen to only me now," Kikyo ordered.

Kaida transformed into her body and stood before Kikyo and Sesshomaru with a cold look on her face. "Yes, master", Kaida muttered looking down at the ground, too ashamed of being belittled by Kikyo.

"Listen carefully. You have been brought back to life to help me end Inuyasha's." Kikyo went on stoically, "He will not accept death with me because of that girl Kagome who he has become so captivated by. I will not have that. His fate is to enter the pits of Hell with me and he shall accept his fate sooner rather than later with your help. Sesshomaru has provided you with temporary life, meaning it can be taken away in an instant if you should choose to defy me or simply do not succeed."

Kaida picked up on every word and knew she had better follow through with Kikyo's demands or else she would be destroyed for good.

"When and if Inuyasha and I pass over to the underworld, I will see to it that you regain permanent life."

Kikyo waited for a sign that Kaida understood her assignment and after a minute or so Kaida nodded in acknowledgment. Sesshomaru stood emotionless while Kikyo was directing Kaida but at the end of her speech pivoted and began walking towards the door.

"You'd be foolish to think you don't have an obligation yourself, Kikyo", Sesshomaru said in a calm yet deadly whisper all the while walking out of the shrine.

Kikyo had known what he meant by that. After all, he hadn't helped her for the good of mankind.

Inuyasha sat there with his jaw dropped. This was an overwhelming amount of information to register all in one sitting. He had heard enough. He crouched and with one swift jump he noisily made his way out of the chimney. Inuyasha knew he had better warn the rest of the gang before anything else could go wrong. He hopped onto the shrine roof and continued on into the forest. What he hadn't known was that Kikyo caught him flee from the top of the Souls of the Underworld sanctuary just as she was exiting. She stared at the empty space on the chimney where Inuyasha had just been a moment ago when suddenly a devious grin grew across her face. This could only end in turmoil.


	11. Real Eyes Realize Real Lies

The boiling summer sun slowly began to rise, lighting up the entire village. A panting Inuyasha flew through Kaede's hut where Sango, Miroku, and Shippo sat eating breakfast.

"Where have you been, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked curiously while sipping some hot stew.

"Yes, we were all beginning to worry about you", Sango assured.

"Well, I'm not the one you should be worrying about", Inuyasha said apprehensively. Sango and Miroku looked at each other and then back at Inuyasha awaiting some bad news due to his expression.

"But first you should know that Kagome is still in this era with… Koga", Inuyasha cringed at the thought of what could be going on over at Koga's den.

"You? Left Kagome with Koga? That's shocking considering you get angry when he simply glances in her direction", Shippo declared with no intention of trying to get a rise out of Inuyasha. But it was too late. Before Shippo could even beg for mercy, there was a new and painful lump on his fragile head.

"Feh, the important thing is that she's safe…" Inuyasha muttered.

"Not from Koga's wrath of love and affection, she's not!" Shippo squealed. Now he was truly asking for it.

Inuyasha growled and was about to add an additional bruise to Shippo's head when Miroku interjected.

"Enough you two. Now, what exactly should we be worried about, Inuyasha?"

"Last night there was an ominous scent traveling through the air so I went to check it out. That's when I came across Kikyo entering the Souls of the Underworld Sanctuary", Inuyasha explained. "I made my way inside undetected and that's when I saw Sesshomaru and Kikyo team up to revive Kaida."

"Impossible!" Miroku shouted, unbelieving of what he was hearing.

"I don't believe it. But why? How?" Sango stammered in utter confusion.

"Sesshomaru used the Tenseiga to bring Kaida's soul back to life. From what I understand, he was doing some sort of favor for Kikyo", Inuyasha explained.

"Well that's an unlikely duo if I ever heard of one", Shippo chimed in.

"That's not the worst part. Kikyo won't stop until she drags me down to Hell with her and I have a feeling she's going to try to kill Kagome in the process. I should also mention that Koga saved Kagome from Kagura's attacks earlier, which is why she's with him at his wolf den", Inuyasha said, exasperated by his very words.

"Kagome is in grave danger right now. Are you sure it was wise to leave her in the hands of Koga? He's very protective of her but is he capable of keeping her safe from all of our enemies?" Miroku asked without masking the worry that besieged him.

"I'm not waiting around to find out", Inuyasha barked with conviction. "Grab your stuff, we're going."

And with that, Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara made their way over to Koga's den. Inuyasha immediately put his delicate nose to use as he sniffed out Koga's location. After a short time, they arrived at their destination only to be greeted by Ginta and Hakkaku.

"Hey, you guys", Ginta chanted as he stood up from the rock he was perched on.

"What brings you out here?" Hakkaku inquired innocently.

"Save it. Where's Kagome?" Inuyasha had no patience for small talk.

"You mean she's not with you?" Ginta asked unknowingly.

Inuyasha lunged forward grabbing Ginta by his armor and lifting him up in the air. "What's that supposed to mean? You better have a good explanation for why Kagome isn't with you." Beads of sweat formed around Ginta's temples as he wiggled around in panic, trying to free himself.

"Pipe down, mutt", Koga retorted as he strolled out of the den confidently with his hands on his hips. "Always stirring up a ruckus."

Inuyasha released Ginta from his strong grasp and heatedly made his way over to Koga. "What'd you do with her? She better be safe or you're wolf meat."

"I took her back to the well so she could do that cross through time thing she does. I told her she should stay put here with me but she was adamant about getting home to get some more medicinal healing items. She said she'd be back by sundown so don't get your kimono in a bunch", Koga contended.

"I should've known better than to leave her with you", Inuyasha snarled.

"What was that, dog breath?" Koga gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fists.

"Forget it, I don't have time to waste on you. Let's go", Inuyasha commanded and leaped into a sprint.

"Right", Sango agreed. Her, Miroku, and Shippo climbed onto Kirara's back and took off in the direction of the Bone Eater's Well.

'_Crap, the sun is setting. Kagome's going to be coming out of the well any minute now. We better hurry_', Inuyasha thought to himself.

By the time the group arrived at the well, night had fallen and Kagome was nowhere to be found. Inuyasha lifted his nose into the air and took a deep breath but didn't pick up her scent. He grunted in distress at this frustrating, anxiety-inducing situation.

"It's possible that she's already at Kaede's hut. Let's go check there", Miroku suggested. He attempted to put on a good face after seeing Inuyasha's troubled countenance but deep down he felt the same way.

Without any further conversation, they took off to Kaede's village to see if Kagome had returned.

'_Kagome, why must you take such risks with your life? You know that Naraku and Kikyo are after you, so why put yourself in any potential danger?" _These questions weighed heavily in Inuyasha's mind as he entered Kaede's hut.

Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango peered around the hut but saw no sign of Kagome or any of her belongings.

"Damn it all, she still hasn't come back", Inuyasha fumed.

Suddenly, his ears perked up and he felt this strange urge to go outside into the woods. "I'll be right back", Inuyasha said as he raced out the door. Before the rest of the gang could answer, Inuyasha was already deep inside the forest.

From out of the Bone Eater's Well, Kagome climbed to the top and inhaled deeply.

"Back already. Feels like I go longer and longer without visiting my home in modern day Japan. So refreshing to go back there, if only for a few hours", Kagome said to no one but herself. She lugged her backpack over her shoulders and started to walk towards the village.

As Kagome made her way back, she noticed something in the sky. Something all too familiar. Kikyo's soul collectors. She also thought she could make out Inuyasha leaping swiftly through the trees in the forest, but she was too far to be sure. Kagome groaned at the thought of having to deal with another painful experience. Even so, she wanted to see what Inuyasha was up to.

'_Oh boy, what am I getting myself into now? I've only been gone for a few hours and he's already going to see Kikyo. How heartless can he be?_' Kagome thought to herself as she followed the soul collectors into the forest.

Kagome came to an abrupt halt when she heart rattling in a few bushes nearby. She scrambled behind a tree, only poking her head out to get a glimpse of who was making a disturbance in the shrubbery. Just as she suspected, a well-known silver-haired hanyou with a red kimono was hiding behind a tree as well. Kagome slammed her body against the tree so that Inuyasha wouldn't see her.

'_OUCH' _Kagome thought to herself, sealing her lips shut so as not to let out a yelp of pain. _'Great, a splinter_," Kagome noticed as she looked down at her chest. '_Whatever, I'll deal with it later'_.

Kagome heard more rattling in the bushes. She peered out from behind the tree and continued to watch Inuyasha. She hadn't forgotten about the soul collectors so she knew Kikyo had to be close by. Her thoughts were disrupted by Kikyo's own voice.

"I know you've been spying on me, Inuyasha, so you can quit hiding", Kikyo insisted emotionlessly. Kagome watched as Inuyasha approached Kikyo.

"I wasn't spyin', I was just seeing what you could possibly be doing out by yourself in the forest! It's bad enough that you're late getting back here, but now you put yourself into danger by not coming straight to Kaede's village?" Inuyasha raged.

'_What? What the heck is Inuyasha talking about? Did I miss something while I was gone for these past few hours? Why would Inuyasha expect Kikyo to be at Kaede's hut? And where had Kikyo been if she was supposedly late getting back? What's going on?'_ Multiple questions flooded Kagome's mind. She continued to listen to Inuyasha and Kikyo's conversation to see if she could try and make sense of it all.

"Always angry, Inuyasha. It's so difficult talking to you when you're always enraged by something or another. I'm not completely helpless, you know. I'm a skilled archer, have you forgotten?" Kikyo spoke sarcastically.

Of course Inuyasha couldn't forget something like that. Kikyo was the one who pinned him to the sacred tree 50 years ago.

"Yeah, yeah", Inuyasha paused. "And I'm not always angry. I was worried about you. After all, I need to protect you from any harm", Inuyasha replied devotedly.

'_After all this, he STILL chooses Kikyo over me. Ugh, why do I even bother coming back here…'_ Kagome thought to herself gloomily as she darted out of the forest. She couldn't bear to listen to their conversation any longer.

"I should say goodbye to everyone else before I go", Kagome solemnly said to herself.

She continued towards the village and eventually arrived at Kaede's hut. She went inside to be greeted by Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kaede.

"KAGOME!" Shippo squealed as he leaped into her warm arms. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you, too", Kagome answered. Miroku and Sango noticed the dismal look on Kagome's face. They then exchanged glances, both knowing Inuyasha must've had something to do with it.

"Kagome, I'm glad to see you're back", Miroku remarked.

"We've missed you a lot, even for the short amount of time you've been gone", Sango rejoiced. Kirara purred in agreement.

"I missed you all, too. But I can't stay", Kagome said as she looked down at the ground, making it obvious that she had something on her mind.

"Why must ye be leaving in such a hurry?" Kaede asked.

"Well, I have to get back to studying. Hard test coming up, you know!" Kagome flashed her fakest smile that everyone could see right through.

"I thought you just took a test last week", Sango acknowledged.

"Well, uh, it's just teachers these days! They make us cram, cram, cram so much for tests that I can barely keep up! Especially with all this time spent in the Feudal Era and all", Kagome joked, not being able to keep up her phony smile for much longer.

Everyone looked at each other aware of something going on with Kagome but kept quiet anyway.

"I'm not sure when I'll be back but I brought you all some things!"

Kagome put her backpack on the wooden table and began to unload it.

"Here is some candy for you, Shippo!"

"Thanks, Kagome!" Shippo beamed, quickly becoming forgetful of Kagome's sadness as he sucked on a lollipop.

"And here are some bandages and healing herbs from my time. Also, here's some ramen for Inuyasha", Kagome said as she hauled the much lighter backpack over her shoulders.

"Oh, and one more thing," Kagome took off the half completed sacred jewel that dangled from her necklace and handed it to Miroku.

Miroku's eyes darted to the sacred jewel in his hand and then back to Kagome.

"Kagome…" Miroku said with a confused, somber look on his face.

"Maybe you should think about this first! I mean, you can't just-" Sango was cut off.

"Don't worry about me. I know what I'm doing", Kagome smiled at all of her friends and then exited the hut.

"Miroku…" Sango cried as she grabbed onto his robe.

"I know, my dear Sango, I know", he replied as he rubbed her back comfortingly. "This may be for the best. With so many demons and evil humans after her, she will be safest in her own time, out of harms way."

Meanwhile, Kagome jolted towards the well as fast as she could. The faster she got back home, the faster she could forget about any of this ever happening at all.

"Track is really paying off, I'm a lot faster than I used to be", Kagome acknowledged.

She stopped at the well and turned around to get one last look at the Feudal Era.

"Bye, Inuyasha…"

And with that, she jumped into the well, vowing to never return again.

***FLASHBACK***

Inuyasha had picked up on a familiar scent as he and the gang traveled through the forest on their way to Kaede's village. However, he ignored it, wanting nothing more than to see if Kagome had returned to the hut.

As soon as they all arrived at Kaede's, Inuyasha peered around the hut to find that Kagome still had not arrived. Moments later, he sensed an odd aura coming from the forest and went with his instincts to find out what could possibly be causing it. With a quick "I'll be right back" Inuyasha vanished out the door.

Good. Now this was his chance to find out what was going on within the forest. He then noticed someone and rushed behind a tree. He could've sworn he heard something nearby but disregarded it and continued to watch the person lurking through the forest.

"I know you've been spying on me, Inuyasha, so you can quit hiding", Kikyo insisted emotionlessly.

'_Why has her scent changed… something's different with her…'_ Inuyasha thought to himself.

They carried on their chat for a few minutes until Inuyasha heard more rattling coming from the bushes. It sounded as though someone was running off in the opposite direction. Eventually, the disturbance faded off and his focus went back to his conversation.

"Don't play dumb. Despite everything that has happened between us you know how much I care about you, Kagome", Inuyasha revealed softly.

'_Haha, this fool has no idea what he's getting himself into'_, Kikyo grinned as she continued to play with Inuyasha's mind, making herself appear as Kagome through Inuyasha's eyes.


End file.
